KAEX Laundry Challenge: Caught Red Shorted
by sunshineleo
Summary: In response to Alligator's KAEX Laundry Challenge. Rated M just in case. Keith likes to do his laundry in the middle of the night when no one else is around. What will happen when Princess Allura finds him during one of her late night wanderings?


Disclaimer: Voltron and its characters belong to WEP. I make no claim to them. The story is mine.

This little fic is a little stand alone in response to Alligator's Laundry Challenge.

Rated M for some minor cursing and sexual innuendo. Nothing explicitly stated.

Enjoy!

Caught Red Shorted

Three AM. The silence of the night was a welcome companion to Commander Keith Kogane as he made his way down into the basement of the Castle of Lions. Carrying a loaded laundry basket against his hip, he whistled as he entered the laundry room of the castle. Laundry room was a misnomer for the spacious room. It was more like a Laundromat with a row of ten large, industrial-sized washing machines and dryers large enough to accommodate a circus tent. Dropping his basket onto the floor, Keith was relieved to find the room completely empty. He didn't want an audience when he attempted to do his laundry. That was the main reason he saved the job for the middle of the night when the rest of the castle was sleeping. He could do his laundry in peace.

Sorting his clothing by lights and darks, Keith chuckled at the lack of diversity in his wardrobe. Black, red, red, red, black, black, black, red. Only his socks and his jeans weren't black or red. Once he got his darks and whites started, Keith looked down at the red uniform he was wearing. Unsure of when he would have another chance to launder his uniform, he unzipped his jacket revealing his sculpted chest and toned abs. Adding the garment to the red load, he glanced at the door. What was the chance anyone would come by the laundry room in the middle of the night? Not a very good one, he figured. Shrugging, he kicked off his boots and unzipped his pants. He peeled the pants down his muscular thighs and added them to his red load. Starting the machine with a satisfied grunt, the commander of the Voltron Force sat back down in a nearby chair to enjoy the novel he had been reading. Clad only in his red satin boxer shorts and white athletic socks, he waited for his laundry to run through the wash cycle.

VVVVVVVV

She was restless. Sleep had eluded her for the past two hours. Giving up, the Princess of Arus got out of bed and wandered slowly through the darkened hallways of the Castle of Lions. She had a leisurely route that she normally followed when she couldn't sleep. This night, however, she was being drawn to the basement. Not a place she normally ventured, Allura went where her steps led. She crept on silent feet into the area of the castle where normally only servants trod.

Entering the hallway to the laundry room, Allura noticed light filtering from the laundry entrance. Finding this odd, she approached the open door slowly. Peering inside, Allura gasped. Her eyes boggled as she took in the sight of the very sexy and nearly naked commander of the Voltron Force as he sat in a chair near the industrial-sized washing machines. Her heart hammered in her chest and a wave of desire, unlike anything she had ever experienced, washed over her as her eyes raked down his hard soldier's body. Blessed with long raven hair, eyes the color of coal, and a breathtaking smile, Keith was hot. He had a perfectly sculpted chest that tapered into a narrow waist. Rock hard abs showed off not a six pack, but a twelve pack. Bulging biceps flexed and worked as he held his book and turned the pages. A soft moan escaped from the princess as she noticed the indentions at his hips that disappeared into his red boxers. Long powerful legs led down to his white socks. Hells yeah, she was attracted to Keith, there was no doubt. She had been since the day he knelt before her 4 years ago.

Allura watched in horror as Keith suddenly cocked his head. His black eyes snapped up to the doorway of the laundry room. Covering her mouth, Allura jumped back from the door. Not wanting to get caught ogling her commander, she backed away until she ran into the wall behind her. Breathing heavily, she leaned against the wall, her heart thundering in her chest. She slid silently to the floor to try and gather her wits about her.

VVVVVV

Keith stared at the doorway, a perplexed look on his face. Was that a noise? He was sure he had caught movement in the doorway out of the corner of his eye. Placing the book on a nearby chair, he stood up. Freezing in place, he waited.

VVVVVVV

_I have got to get out of here_, Allura thought as she watched the door for any sign of Keith. She no longer heard pages turning; the only sound was the banging of the washer as it went into its spin cycle. Thankful for the extra noise, Allura pushed herself gracefully to her feet. She paused, watching the door intently. When Keith did not emerge, she figured she was safe and turned to walk swiftly down the hallway and away from the laundry room. Smiling dreamily to herself as her mind drifted back to Keith in his boxers, Allura took three steps before a force pummeled her from behind.

VVVVVVV

The moment he heard the soft footfall, Keith's muscles tensed. There was someone in the hallway. Sprinting out the door, he grabbed the intruder around the chest and dragged him to the ground. A strangled cry escaped from the voyeur as Keith used his weight to shift the person onto his back. Holding the person down with a hand to the chest, Keith growled, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Spying on me?"

His ebony eyes widened in amazement as he took in the azure eyes of his peeping tom. "Princess?" he asked. Tangled golden tresses cascaded across the floor like an angelic halo. Allura's face flushed pink and her sapphire eyes stared up at him, as round as saucers. Her chest heaved as she gasped for air, and her tongue escaped from between her lips to lick the dryness away. The sash to her robe had loosened, revealing a glimpse of transparent pink satin underneath. Keith's stoic demeanor melted as he took in the sight of which he had always dreamed: the princess in a deliciously disheveled state, lying underneath him. "Princess," he confirmed, unintentionally leaning toward her.

Overwhelmed by Keith's proximity, Allura uttered no sound. One muscular arm lay across her chest, pinning her to the ground. His bare, sculpted chest pushed against her ribs as he lay half on top of her. But it was the bulge that she felt wedged against her hip that was making her head spin. Her eyes focused on his lips as he moved his face within two inches of hers. Gasping for breath, she closed her eyes to center herself before she managed to blurt out, "Keith!"

The commander stopped in his tracks. "What? Oh, shit. Allura, I am so sorry!" he cried as he slid away from her. Standing up, he reached a hand down to the princess. She accepted in gladly, and he pulled her gracefully to her feet. They stood in awkward silence for several minutes, just staring at each other.

Running a hand through his unruly hair, Keith broke the silence. "I guess you're wondering what I am doing hanging out in my underwear," he said, flashing a lopsided grin. "My uniform was overdue for a washing and since no one was around…" His voice trailed off as he shrugged his shoulders.

Looking him over, Allura giggled nervously as she tried to keep her desire in check. "That makes sense. You're probably wondering what I am doing lurking outside the laundry room by myself," she said, glancing up at him through her eyelashes.

Comprehending her words, Keith's whole demeanor changed in an instant. His pulled himself up to his full six feet three inches, and he crossed his arms across his chest. Standing with his legs in a military parade rest, he glared down at the princess. "You shouldn't be wandering the halls by yourself in the middle of the night," he scolded. "What if there was an emergency and no one knew where you were?" His eyes flitted over her again, trying not to notice the glimpse of cleavage that her nightgown allowed him. "What are you doing down here anyway?"

Allura's eyes gleamed as she watched Keith morph into his infamous commander mode. In his red uniform or his Voltron flight suit, Keith would be intimidating. In his red boxers and white athletic socks, the effect was comical, yet sexy as hell. A small snort escaped from Allura. She tried to cover it up by clearing her throat. She looked at Keith again as he gazed at her, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. Another giggled escaped as the corners of her mouth quirked upward. A look of confusion flashed across Keith's face. Allura could take no more. She burst into laughter, grabbing her stomach and closing her eyes as she howled.

Keith stared at her, slack jawed. "What's so funny?" he asked, cocking his head in annoyance.

"You," Allura stammered. She guffawed for several more minutes, tears streaming down her face. After several moments, she regained control. Chuckling more softly, Allura wiped her eyes. "You," she tried again. "Sorry, Keith, but you're just not all that scary in your red satin boxers and white socks. Your commander mode just doesn't have the same effect."

Having forgotten his state of undress, Keith glanced down at himself. He reddened as he realized she was right. "Yeah, well," he replied. At a loss for what to say, Keith smiled sheepishly instead, dismissing her observations with a nod of his head. "You never answered me. What are you doing wandering around in the middle of the night?"

"I couldn't sleep," Allura replied. "I was hoping for a distraction. For some reason, my wanderings led me here." Smiling wickedly, she taunted him as she quirked an eyebrow at him, "Can't say that I am at all disappointed by what I've found."

Keith blinked and furrowed his brows. _What did she just say? Did I hear her right? _he thought. Staring at her, he had a look of utter bewilderment on his handsome face. "Ummm….what?"

Licking her lips hungrily, Allura allowed her eyes to rove lazily over Keith from head to toe. Taking all of him in, Allura placed a small hand on the commander's broad chest. "I like this look, Keith. It lets one see all your best assets," she quipped flirtatiously.

No reply came from Keith. Trying to make sense of what the princess was saying, he was lost in thought. _Is she flirting with me? Is she coming on to me?_ The heat from her hand spread from his chest and washed over his body, a flood of desire. He willed his body to not respond, but it was hopeless. Groaning quietly, he turned away from her and walked into the laundry room before she could witness the evidence of his arousal, obvious in his thin boxer shorts.

Rolling her eyes, Allura followed him into the laundry room. She was not going to let him walk away from her this time. Closing the door behind her and locking it, Allura turned to face Keith. "I think you're hot, Keith. Seeing you like this confirms it," she stated matter-of-factly as she waved her hand to indicate his amazing body. "I want you, Keith," she whispered breathlessly, her eyes deepening to midnight blue. "The question is Commander, what are you going to do about it?" Pulling at the sash of her robe, she pushed the garment off her shoulders. She stood seductively before him in only her thin satin nightgown.

Keith gulped as he watched her stalk toward him like a lioness after her prey. "Allura," he growled through clenched teeth. "Stop. Don't do this. You may get more than you bargained for." Reaching out to grab her arms, he halted her progression. His dark eyes smoldered with a passion he had never allowed her to see before.

Meeting his gaze evenly, she replied haughtily, "I know exactly what I am bargaining for, Commander." Snaking her arms around his neck, she pressed her body against his. Soft, luscious curves met smooth, hard muscle. "That's what I am counting on." Raising her chin, she stared into his black eyes. Her passion-filled, midnight blue orbs disintegrated Keith's last bit of control.

In an instant, he closed the last inches of space between them. His lips were on hers. Wrapping their arms around each other, they molded their bodies together. As they consumed each other, neither noticed the ding that signaled the end of the washing machines' spin cycles.

VVVVVVV

Walking gingerly down the hall toward the dining room, Allura stifled a yawn. After her adventure in the laundry room, she was sore in some unusual places and utterly exhausted. Entering through the door, she glanced around at the rest of her teammates, already seated for the morning meal. All seemed well rested, except the commander. Smiling to herself, Allura noticed the dark circles that lined Keith's eyes. Catching his eye, she offered a small smile as he rose to get himself another cup of coffee. Her heart fluttered when he returned a small smile meant only for her.

"What time is Lion Practice today, Skipper?" Pidge asked brightly as Keith sat back down at his seat.

Keith rubbed his face with both hands. "Let's meet after lunch. 1300," he replied, his exhaustion apparent in his voice.

"Ok, Cap," Pidge nodded, and he and Hunk left the room to head to the reparations bay.

"Why so late, Keith?" Lance inquired, knitting his eyebrows in confusion. "We had an early practice scheduled for today."

"1300," Keith repeated, a warning ringing in his voice. "I didn't get much sleep. I may go back to bed and lie down for a bit. I don't feel rested enough to fly Black Lion and lead practice."

Lance's attention was diverted as Allura then yawned in a most un-princess like way. "And what's up with you?" he quipped to the princess. "Rough night for you as well?"

"I couldn't sleep," she responded hollowly. Without thinking, she admitted, "As I was wandering through the halls, I ran into Keith in the laundry room."

Keith's eyes snapped to Allura, communicating a warning in his dark eyes. Lance caught the quick exchange and smiled to himself. Waggling his eyebrows up and down, he crossed his arms across his chest. "So what were you two doing, alone, in the laundry room in the middle of the night, pray tell?" he inquired as Keith's eyes flashed angrily and the princess's face flushed prettily.

"Laundry," they both replied in unison, locking eyes.

Flustered, Allura tried to backpedal. "I ran into Keith as he was doing his laundry. I have never washed clothes, so I asked him to teach me," she explained a little too rapidly.

Keith nodded with an amused look on his face. "That's right. She's a quick learner. Pretty soon, the spoiled princess could do all our laundry," he joked, winking at Allura.

Sticking her tongue out at him, she snorted. "Keep dreaming, Commander! That will never happen. That is not a service I plan to offer to just anyone," she challenged, narrowing her eyes at Keith.

Lance watched the exchange with interest. Maybe more happened in the laundry room than either of his best friends was willing to admit. Lance would leave it alone, for now. "Well, if you change your mind Princess, I have a basket of my unmentionables that need laundering!" he jabbed playfully, standing to leave. "I will catch you two later; I have some strategy work to do before Lion practice." He offered a mock salute and a wink before he left the dining room.

Watching the Red Lion pilot exit the room, Allura sipped her coffee delicately as she turned to gaze at Keith above her cup. "Thank you for the laundry lesson, Commander," she breathed. "It was quite enlightening. I didn't know doing laundry could be so enjoyable."

Chuckling softly, Keith's eyes smoldered as he smiled wickedly at the princess. "You're welcome, Your Highness," he replied as he stood. Walking over to stand behind her, he leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I do hope you are willing to share your laundry services with me and only me." Nipping lightly at her ear, Keith placed a quick kiss on her swanlike neck before he continued, "I hope I can offer another laundry lesson soon."

"Yes, please," Allura pleaded, closing her eyes as goose bumps flared across the flesh of her neck. His scent invaded her senses, and his lips left a sensuous caress on her skin. "The sooner, the better," she whispered.

"Tonight then," Keith whispered huskily in her ear. "I will see you at Lion Practice, my seductive laundress," he said quietly. Leaving Allura with a racing heart and frayed nerves, he walked quickly out of the dining room.

Allura shook her head as she watched him go. _I will never look at a laundry basket the same way again, _she thought as she also stood and headed to her office to start her day, thoughts of last night's laundry spinning in her head.


End file.
